I used a very small Screwdriver and began at the side furthest from the power switch and gently pry it up. As you move along you will see where it clips and can gently nudge the clips to release and the camera cover area comes right off. Before you remove the screws under the camera cover, check Microsoft to make sure your surface isn't under warranty, because a screw is under that seal and will have to be removed. To replace it start at the power switch side and gently snap into place all the way across.

Great explanation of the RT. I recently took mine apart as I was having problems with it charging. In the process the ZIF battery connector came off so right now I can only get power thru the charger instead of any battery power. I am trying to locate a zif connector for the RT, would you know a part number or specs. Appreciate any help you can provide. thanks

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Next we find a large orange ribbon cable leading to the "Apple-esque" magnetic charging port. The microSDXC card slot that hides underneath the kickstand is also attached to this ribbon cable. And not a single bother was given that day, so we proceeded to dismantle the speakers.

We love modular components inside tablets and smartphones, and these speakers fit that bill. A little bit of spudgering, and our Surface has gone silent.

Would you have any info on a part number for the charging port, or suggestions of where to track one down? I'm pretty sure I need to replace one for a family member, which should be pretty easy (thanks to you guys), but I still need the part to do the job.

I am pretty sure that the CY8C20466A is not driving the touchscreen or touch keyboard. The 5 Atmel devices are doing that. The maximum 4MIPS M8C cpu in the CY8C20466A is great for Button slider and wheel type ccap touch applications, but not powerfull enough for a screen. My guess is that they are either using it for some cap touch buttons along the edges of the Surface or they are using the switch cap functionality in the Cap sense block as an audio filter. The latter makes most sense when you consider the other devices on the module

The precarious wire is a wifi antenna cable. If you look where it goes, it comes from right underneath the wifi section of the board and goes to near the far away wifi antenna is. You can see where it comes through the board on the side far away form the wifi section, and that it goes to an antenna connection and other passives.

It's not precarious at all, it's soldered in many places to the board to hold it in place (I wouldn't be surprised if all of those connections were connecting the shield of the cable to ground on the board.) That's a really which quality job for the wifi antenna.

That "precarious wire" does look like a piece of micro coaxial cable. I believe the technical term would be semi-rigid cable. They used that stuff on many handsets throughout the 1990's. If you have to traverse relatively long distances, it is hard to beat - you don't have the dispersion of the signal like you do with printed line.

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We tried to remove the keyboard connector, but were disappointed to find it's wedged firmly under the LCD. Replacing the connector will require either bending the magnesium frame or separating the display.

We were on a teardown roll, so we pressed on and pulled the display from the VaporMG frame, which required a heat gun, some guitar picks, and plenty of patience.

The display's LTL106AL01-002 label indicates Samsung as the manufacturer. Its sister panel, the LTL106AL01-001, appears to be 1280 x 800 resolution. We didn't test the Surface's display before taking it apart, and we trust Microsoft not to lie…

But maybe someone can do a quicky double-check on the display resolution, just for giggles?

My RT got a cracked screen, and I'm ordering a new LCD as well as a separate digitizer bezel.

Anyone have any ideas on reattaching the LCD and the digitizer WITHOUT gluing them back together? I would like a solution that would make future repair easier with out breaking out the heat gun, and if I'm fortunate enough to once again NOT damage the LCD, but only the digitizer, NOT having it glued together would be great.

Hi Chaithanya, I found the answer on other laptops to be a very small fuse connecting power from the motherboard to the LCD, its usually in the first or last place on the ribbon connector circuit. I haven't done that repair on a surface yet.

I was given a couple of "dead" surface RTs with chargers. none of the little lights on charger plugs lit up when attached to any of the tablets. I found that by very slowly "rolling" the the plug on/in to the connector pins (and some times slowly up and down the length of the plug) that suddenly the light on the magnetic plug comes on. my theory (probably wrong) is the battery is so flat that simply connecting up the power charger won't start it. the battery needs a "spark" i.e. the gentle rolling of the plug in the magnetic socket. All of the 4 units I was given appeared dead initially. they hadn't been touched for months. All 4 units starting working (power light come on on the plug) by slowly rolling the plug in to the tablets magnetic power socket.

i am replacing the digitizer and screen (right terms?) on this surface, and found this site very helpful, thanx!! Im new at this and cant get the zif connectors to release the old screen. Ive looked at dozens of videos on zifs and have carefully pried, pushed, pulled in every direction and cant get them to budge, any help?

Great explanation of the RT. I recently took mine apart as I was having problems with it charging. In the process the ZIF battery connector came off so right now I can only get power thru the charger instead of any battery power. I am trying to locate a zif connector for the RT, would you know a part number or specs. Appreciate any help you can provide. thanks